100 challenge
by ASoldiersLamb
Summary: On my profile is a list of 100 topics. I will write a PJO one-shot for each of these. Some will work together, but essentially, it will be 100 chapters with different pairings, ratings, and topics. Any ideas for topics based on words, shoot me a comment.
1. Freedom

'Freedom'

Rachel stared at her computer with the most vacant expression on her face. To be honest, she wasn't even registering that there was anything to see. The light from the screen was the only thing that illuminated the college dorm room, casting a harsh shadow of Rachel across the opposing wall. Books were open all around her and paintings were all over the walls. A plethora of Andes Candies wrappers littered the floor and desk, and paint was smeared into her red hair and across her forehead.

It was her fault; it was the Oracle's fault. Rachel had been dragged from her paper to make ridiculous predictions, and that stupid oracle had ruined her project sculpture by turning her model of the statue of David into a man grappling with a snake. She'd had enough of the control that the oracle had over her. She was tired of being a medium for the gods, and she was tired of following Apollo's rules. She finally broke from her trance and got to her feet. She pulled open the door to see Nico on the other side. He had a hand in his pocket, and the other fist raised to knock on the door. He looked like he was going to say something but thought better of it. He stuffed his hand back into his pocket and blew a few strands of black hair out of his face.

"Hey Red, you busy?" He asked coolly. That was one of the many things that drew Rachel to Nico so much. He was so blasé. Nico didn't care if she was in old sweat pants and a University sweater, or the most expensive Vitali gown on the market. He was always open to just sitting around and watching a bad horror movie, and he never complained about day old Chinese. Even more important though, was the fact that it was always her he chose to spend his time with. He always offered her to tag along even when it wasn't really her type (which almost never happened) and he had the most impeccable timing to show up when she really needed it, and tonight, she needed it.

"No. Honestly, I'm up for anything except for sitting here the rest of the night." She grabbed her sweater and closed the door behind her. He glanced down at her.

"Weren't you working on a paper?" She rolled her eyes at him as they walked down the stairs.

"Since when have you cared whether I was really busy or not?" He chuckled low in his chest.

"Good point, Red. So, I found something earlier that I thought you might be interested in. You'll need that sweater." She pulled on the garment self consciously and attempted to smooth her hair down. He laughed out loud then and grabbed her hand to stop her.

"You're wasting your time. Where we're going, it won't matter." He released her hand and held the door open for her. She sneered.

"Since when have you been such a gentleman?" He shrugged.

"I'm a prince, that's what we do… M'lady." He did a ridiculously extravagant bow as she passed. He looked funny doing it because Rachel knew Nico for who he was, but with the long black double button coat and shining black curls, she would've believed he was a prince. 'Well,' she thought, 'in a way, he was a prince.' He tossed an arm around her shoulder casually, pulling her to his side. She looked at him, confused; though she was sure she was blushing against her will.

"Shadow travel, hold on." She wrapped her arms around his chest as she felt the ground dissipate. When she felt them stop, she pulled her face from his chest and looked around. Rain flew at them with the velocity of bullets and stung her face like ice. It was black all around them except for the passing light of a light house off in the distance. Wind roared in her ears and she could hear the hungry churn of a violent ocean somewhere below. They were standing on a cliff, staring out at the stormy ocean. Rachel flung her arms open wide and embraced the cold rain and roaring wind. This storm was violent. It was raging and wild and untamed. This storm was free from pattern and control, rules and structure.

Rachel laughed as she felt the wind buffet her back into Nico who held his ground as he caught her so they wouldn't fall to the starving sea. Somehow he always knew what she needed. He brought her candy when she was working too hard to eat, he brought her an excuse to flea when someone was getting particularly hands-y with her, and he brought her freedom when she desperately needed it. It was simple things like making her stand in a storm that made it clear to Rachel that Nico knew her better than anyone else in the world. This must have been why the gods assigned him to be her guardian.

Nico knew what she needed; he always knew what she needed. He even knew how to give her freedom, and that's all she could ask for.


	2. Love

Love

Persephone learned to love the Lord of the Dead.

I threw myself lazily into his throne because he hated it when I sat in his throne. I threw my feet over the armrest because he hated how unlady-like it was. I littered the floor with the husks of pomegranates and their seeds bled dry. I would claim it was to add some color, but I just loved to set him off. He was the one that brought me here, and he would learn to regret it. But when he came storming into the throne room, the fury on his face dissipated. Not exactly the response I was hoping for, to be honest. He chuckled and the tension in his shoulders fell. He approached his throne calmly and braced his bands on the arm rests. I was trapped.

"Persephone, love, if you want my attention all you need to do is ask." He laughed quietly and kissed me on the forehead. He pushed off the armrests and sank into my throne, brushing some of the husks off of the arm rest. His fingers danced in my hair, something very unlike him.

"You aren't mad?" I asked, curious now. He sighed contentedly.

"No, darling, I'm not. If you want to do my job have at it. The fates know I'm no fan." I turned in the throne so that I could face him and he looked over his shoulder at me.

"When did you quit wanting to be the lord of the dead? I never noticed any change." I asked, now a little more concerned than I should have been. After all, he did trap me down here.

"I never wanted to be the lord of the dead. I was the first son of Kronus, and I should have ruled the heavens. I was tricked by Zeus, but I've accepted that this is the price I pay. I tried to help my father get rid of Zeus as a child. I was the golden son, the crown prince, but my mother saw Zeus as the perfect son, and I got jealous. It sounds so pathetic now, but my actions then will haunt me forever." He sat in silence, just watching me and I couldn't pull away from his gaze. He ran his fingers through my hair again and sighed, looking away. When his hand fell away, I found that I was disappointed at the lack of contact between us. He stood and began to leave without another word, but I rose before I knew what I was doing.

"Wait. Where are you going now?" Hades turned on me and was suddenly much closer than before.

"I don't think it's fair that I can steal a look at you too often. People will think I'm using you, but just looking at you makes me feel better after some of the idiots I have to work with." He held my face in his hands and touched his forehead to mine.

"I know what you're trying to do with the pomegranates, love, and I hope you know it hurts to see you still hold such spite. If it's any consolation, I get lonely without you." He kissed me once and left, leaving as tingling sensation on my face where he had touched. Hades was short with everybody, and more impatient than any other god, but on the rare occasions that he opened up to me, I became aware once again of the fact that I did, indeed, love the lord of the dead.


	3. Light

Light.

Will Solace sometimes gets too caught up in his work, he sometimes forgets to just enjoy the sunlight.

Will logged off the computer and put it away in his shoulder bag. He was tired and in desperate need of sleep. His wife was angry at him for pulling yet another all-nighter and his boss would never be completely satisfied with his work. Being the creative project manager put a lot of stress on him that he really should have been able to breeze through. However, his work load had tripled since the layoffs of most of his staff. Nicolle was frustrated with his absences from home and she just got more and more angry every time he crawled into bed at some ridiculous hour. She would wake up and look at him as he pulled his work clothes off. She'd glare and snip at him with some snide comment. He'd apologize and promise to make it up to her, but those promises never came. Soon enough, she quit trying to argue with him. Soon enough, she would just turn away as he climbed into bed. He began to dread going home to his wife's disappointment, and would work all through the night.

Today was different though. He was going to make things up to her. He owed her at least that much. As he walked outside to the sunlight, he felt his spirits lift even more. When was the last time he was actually in his father's element? The sun was warm on his face and caught the gold in his hair. He felt the urge to just run all the way home to Nicolle, basking in the glow of the sun. Sometimes he forgot to just enjoy the sunlight he was born into, but when he steps into the sunlight again, he can feel the man he was born to be coming back. He wasn't a suit and tie man, he was a hero! He had to quit being this pencil pusher and go back to being who he was. He had to remember to just enjoy his father's light.

A/N: Not my best work by far. I'm not super happy with this one, but I can't seem to get it to sound any better. The next couple should turn out okay but I guarantee that the Nico lovers will get a kick out of chapter six. Seven will be for Percabeth people. Keep reading.


	4. Dark

Dark

I woke up to an excruciatingly bright light all around me and the common sounds of New York blaring in my ears. My head pounded violently and I turned my face away from the sun light in vain. I groaned inwardly. Who would've guessed that one day I'd wake up with my face in the concrete jungle? I felt someone's shadow blissfully block the light from my migraine and I opened my eyes when whoever it was kicked my side painfully. I cringed and glared at the man. Hades stood over me in his human form, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Get up, Nico. You're just making things worse by laying there." I tried to come up with some witty retort but all that came out was something like, "But I… NO!" He rolled his eyes at me and it had to sink in just how childish I sounded.

"Nicolo Rosso Di Angelo, get out of the gutter or by the Fates I will open the earth to swallow you whole." I should have been driven to my feet by his use of my full name but I wasn't thinking at the time.

"I dare you." Was the stupid response that came out of my mouth. I know my father pretty well, and I shouldn't have challenged him. I don't know what everyone else saw, but clear as day the earth opened up beneath me. I fell for what felt like forever before landing face first on some sort of mossy substance. The darkness and cool damp air of the earth almost immediately relieved my hang over. I got to my feet and brushed the dirt off my shirt. Hades stood in front of me, no longer in his closed off stance. His arms hung at his side and his face showed that he was positively fuming. I looked over his shoulder and saw Persephone lounging across his throne with a smirk on her face. The string of garnets around her neck shone, and for the first time I noticed that the necklace was intended to be a silver chain with six stones representing the six pomegranate seeds. Maybe they were the six pomegranate seeds. I glared at her expression and for some reason, her smirk faltered and her eyes flicked to my father.

"You. Agreed. To. This. Service. Nico." His rage permeated from him in waves and I knew that L.A. was going to suffer another earthquake.

"What does me drinking have to do with Rachel not getting hunted and killed. Get to know your enemy, right?" I shrugged but Hades' glare deepened and I knew I was in deep shit.

"No, Nico. The fact that you left her unprotected all night with no sure way of contacting you has set Apollo off. Now, when I told him that you would be a trustworthy protector that would not break the rules, I meant all of the rules! Now, as much as I'd love to hold you down here against your will till the planet freezes over, you still have responsibilities. Listen to me, Nico, and listen well. You will go back to the surface and find the Oracle. You will honor your commitment, and you will do so without allotting yourself time to get completely and totally fucked, do you hear me?" I shrugged.

"You make it sound like I'm married to her." I grumbled. He grabbed my chin and pulled me closer to him.

"For all the freedom you have, you mine as well be." His voice was soft but murderous and I could see that, to him, this conversation was over. I turned and left through the shadow of a gnarly Joshua tree, fuming at my choice. I'd sealed my fate to that obnoxious redhead and there was no way out of it.

I stepped into her dark living room and sank to the sofa in relief. It was quiet for the time being, and a place to lay down and sleep off my headache was all I needed. I didn't even have to feel guilty that it was her sofa. It's not like this was the first time she'd wake up to me sleeping in the living room, and on a sofa would look a lot more dignified than some of the other ways she'd found me in the past. As I fell asleep, I had to thank my father for one thing: At least he gave me darkness.


	5. Seeking Solace

Seeking Solace

He shook her awake gently. When she rolled over she gave him a questioning look. Then she looked at the date on her phone, and knew what was coming.

"Stay here this morning. The apartment is safe guarded, as you know. I'll be back in an hour or so. Call me if you need me." His hand slid off her shoulder as he walked out and closed her bedroom door. When she was sure he was gone, she threw her blanket off and jumped out of bed. Her sweater was already on and she pulled on her boots with as much speed as she could muster. She took off after him, keeping enough distance to make sure that he didn't notice her.

They traveled for the longest time, driving further and further north. He didn't stop until they had gotten to Buffalo. The farm lands were lush and humid in the summer and Nico's black Ninja looked like a spot of gloom in the golden landscape. When he finally stopped Rachel drove past to keep her cover. She circled around after a moment and pulled into the drive in front of the old church. When she got out of the car and went to the door, she realized it was locked. Rachel looked around for another way to get in, and her eyes fell on a cobble stone pathway that wrapped around the old building. She followed it carefully and came across the open gates to an old cemetery. There he was, sitting on the ground next to a small marble slab resting in the grass. She had to wonder who he came to mourn on the same summer day every year. He had done it every year since she met him and she was pretty sure that the habit existed before then.

"Nico?" His head snapped up as she spoke and the look on his face was hard to read. She sank into the grass next to him and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Sorry. Are you mad?" He sighed and shook his head.

"No, I guess not." He looked down at the stone again in silence. Rachel read the engraving on it.

Bianca Di Angelo: 1933- 2007

"Was Bianca your grandma or something? How long has your family been in New York?" Rachel was very interested in family lines in New York. Nico scoffed.

"Rachel, Bianca was my older sister," Rachel gave him a confused look and he almost half smiled, "Should I explain?" She nodded. As he began to explain, she watched the woods on the far side of the cemetery sway in the summer breeze.

"I know I don't look it, but I was actually born in 1937. Bianca and I were both children of Hades. Our mother's name was Maria Di Angelo."

"The opera soprano?" Rachel asked excitedly. Nico smiled fully now, staring off to the sky.

"Yes, but the accident she died in was actually the wrath of Zeus. He was trying to kill Bianca and I but my father protected us. He put Bianca and me in the Lotus Hotel. There, time pretty much stands still. We spent decades safe from discovery in those endless rooms of games.

"A man came and collected us at some point and sent us to a boarding school. Hades wanted his pieces in the multi-facetted chess match, I guess. That's where we were attacked and then taken to camp. That's when I met Percy. I was eight." His face darkened and he looked back down at the stone.

"Bianca joined Artemis' hunters then. She was tired of taking care of me. I didn't know I was such a burden, really. If she'd just told me…" He trailed off in frustration. Rachel reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. She knew this calmed him down and maybe it would make him feel better. She didn't want him to stop his story yet. This was all new information to her. The idea that Nico had lived through World War Two was amazing to her. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, but he took a breath and continued.

"She was part of the group that went on the quest to rescue Artemis and Annabeth. She was killed trying to take down a Talos. Rachel pulled him down into a hug and he just held her for as long as he could. He knew that he had been seeking solace, but now he knew he was looking in the wrong places. Revisiting Bianca's memorial was not going to bring him comfort. It was the living breathing Rachel that managed to do that.

He'd come back next year on a happier note, and maybe even bring Rachel with him. There were other stories he could share with her.


	6. Words from River himself

So, I have to post this in hopes of giving a remotely good excuse for the lack of updates. First of all, I have to tell everyone that I am afflicted with chronic writer's block. It isn't super contagious and the doctors say that I can live a normal life, but the flare-ups will happen from time to time and hinder my writing capability.

Now, I should be able to update again in November but October is particularly difficult. You see, being at a University is a pain in the butt. October is Mid-Term month, so I have seven fully researched and edited papers and a psychological professional presentation all due this month.

Please bear with me through this semester hell and I should be out of it soon. I'll be in classes through November as well but most of December I should be free to write. Woot!


	7. Review with the Number you want next

Freedom- Nico shows Rachel freedom with a storm  
2. Love- It started off with seemingly horrible intentions, but soon enough, Persephone learns to love the Lord of the Dead.  
3. Light- Will Solace sometimes gets so caught up in all the skills he must inherit from his father, sometimes he forgets to just enjoy the sunlight.  
4. Dark- Nico trusts the Underworld. There, he is safe and comfortable. In the dark, Nico is much more at ease.  
5. Seeking Solace- Every year, he leaves for a day to himself. Rachel follows him as he goes to a secluded old catholic church yard. He is honoring the death of Bianca and Rachel tries to comfort him. He tells her stories of his childhood with Bianca, whom Rachel never met.  
6. **Break Away- so he kicks over furniture and breaks glass, because he knows Persephone will be angry with him, and he finds an odd satisfaction with that.**  
7. Heaven- Annabeth needs a little inspiration from Percy to help her capture heaven in her designs for Olympus.  
8. Innocence- Percy sees such innocence in his new born little brother. He hasn't been born in the blood of heroes.  
9. Sunset- Most honeymoons are picturesque because of the sunsets over the beach. Annabeth prefers the rushing waves to the sunset itself.  
10. **Breathe Again- When the sword drove through his body, he felt no pain. After all, he had protected her and done his duty to Olympus. She was safe. When the gods send him back, the quick rush of his returning breath breaks Rachel from her mourning trance and into the truth. She is lost without him.**  
11. Memory- Annabeth recounts all of her terrible memories from life the night before her wedding, and falls asleep to the hope that from then on, the memories she builds will be brighter.  
12. **Insanity- He had to have her committed, right? After all, she was insane. Hermes tries to heal Luke's mother's heart in vain.**  
13. Misfortune- Rachel was fortunate enough to have her soul mate as her guardian and companion, and misfortunate enough to never be allowed to give him what he takes from other women.  
14. Smile- The way she kissed him or touched him or whispered in his ear, those things turned him on and drove him crazy. Sometimes, however, all it took to make him realize again and again how in love with her he was, her smile.  
15. Silence- He'd pushed her out of the way and taken a sword for her. She held him in her arms as he died, the world in complete silence except for his final breaths.  
16. Questioning- It wasn't a matter of being a deviant or breaking rules for the hell of it. After all, there was a time when she accepted the rules. Now, Rachel questions her lack of freedoms from Apollo.  
17. Blood- They told her she needed to get away from him, that he was gone and there was nothing she could do. They told her that she was covered in his blood and she should clean it off. That's when she lost it. His blood was precious to her, and as gruesome as she felt, she would never wash away the last part of him she had.  
18. Rainbow- Her time in California had really lightened her already blond hair. It was almost white blond now, and Percy loved that her hair looked almost rainbow through their iris messages.  
19. Nonsensical- Travis had always said that Connor was his nonsensical little brother. Well, Connor would show him nonsensical…  
20. Fortitude- It took every bit of fortitude she had to let Percy get on that plane. If only the feeling in her gut hadn't been right…  
21. **Promises- He promised to call her during his layover in Denver. He promised to call her when he landed in L.A. He promised he'd sail home to her in all his glory… He made a lot of broken promises.**  
22. Weather- He didn't know how they could have been dating for so long, and still end up talking about the weather. Of course, it was too obvious that they would end up arguing about the difference between California and New York.  
23. Cat- Was it strange that Nico was allergic to cats? After all, they were the symbols of death.  
24. No Time- The man pulled the sword on Rachel who stood stalk still. Now was no time to get shell shock… He had to do something.  
25. Trouble Lurking- He saw it in the color shift of her paintings. It was subtle but noticeable. The fact that she wouldn't sleep for days, and wake up screaming if she did. He stayed awake with her as long as he could, and he wanted to know what she dreamed about but she could never remember. There was trouble Lurking and he knew it.  
26. Tears- It was four in the morning and yet he still hadn't called. Luke had finally gone to sleep and, like he said, she wouldn't sleep until she knew he was safe. She would only let the tears fall.  
27. Foreign- On a whim, Rachel starts taking an Italian language class. Italian was a foreign tongue to her, but Nico could remedy that.  
28. Sorrow- At six, she turned on the news to see the fiery devastation that was Percy's 747 from the day before.  
29. Happiness- She may have lost him, but the sparkle of Luke's eyes and his smile reminded her from time to time that she had not lost all of him and that she could be happy.  
30. Under the Rain- The rain drops fell on her skin as she listened to her ipod and danced her heart out. That cliff meant everything to her now. It was her connection to him. He was there, dancing with her now, she could feel it.  
31. Flowers- Persephone liked the kinds of flowers that didn't like the underworld. She loved tulips, to be more specific. Since when did he know that?  
32. Night- He was a shy person, he couldn't help it. He wore his sunglasses and pretended that he didn't have to look at the mass of students he encountered by day. At night, however, he was another man. No longer the Apollo glare down at him. He was a free man and he enjoyed all the things a free man would enjoy.  
33. Expectations- She knew she should be grateful that he agreed to protect her for the remainder of their lives. She knew she shouldn't expect him to be hers and only hers, but it still stung to know what his nights became. She just had high expectations.  
34. Stars- Annabeth tells Luke the stories of his father as they watch the stars on their boat.  
35. Hold My Hand- Annabeth and Percy honeymoon in Greece. Percy wants Annabeth to experience cliff jumping but the idea terrifies her.  
36. Precious Treasure- Hades' most precious treasure was tucked into an onyx box and hidden away. A partially eaten pomegranate, still ripe with ruby seeds.  
37. Eyes- Luke had to believe his mother's stories at some point. After all, there was no denying that he had his father's eyes.  
38. Abandoned- When he woke up in the hospital, it terrified him how little he knew or remembered. As far as he knew, he'd been abandoned.  
39. Dreams- Nico tries to help Rachel recall her nightmares.  
40. Rum- Percy's sailor initiation in Hawaii. Rum heals all wounds that time cannot recall.  
41. Teamwork- Travis and Connor were known for their tag team antics. At camp they were typical sons of Hermes, in the real world, you get cell time for 'antics'. Poor pregnant Katie has to come get them out.  
42. Standing Still- Nico criticizes Rachel's painting of Persephone's garden by claiming that there is too much motion. Things in the underworld are dead, and therefore stand still.  
43. **Dying- Luke loses his pet turtle and Annabeth finally begins to accept Percy's death.**  
44. Two Roads- Nico never liked Robert Frost's poetry…  
45. Illusion- Nico loves her, she's pretty and young and she knows how to please him, but his happiness is just an illusion because he knows that somewhere there is Rachel, and nothing can compare to that.  
46. Family- Sally looks at the portrait of her family. Her and Paul with her boys. Troy in Paul's lap and Percy with his arms around Annabeth who's holding her own boy. She always found comfort in this family portrait, even though Troy was gone at school and Percy…  
47. Creation- Rachel teaches Nico to paint and explains that death is just another form of creation.  
48. **Childhood- Annabeth wanted to give Luke a better childhood than his namesake, a better childhood than the one she had.**  
49. Restrictions- Nico was so tempting by just being himself, and yet, she was under restrictions and so was he.  
50. Breaking the Rules- So they kissed, that wasn't breaking the rules. So what if he was shirtless? That wasn't a rule. Did it matter that she was pulling at his belt? No, there was no rule against that. Rachel and Nico find ways to break the rules.  
51. Propriety- Rachel never was the model of propriety, so why did she feel like her actions disappointed him? Why did Nico get to judge her?  
52. Deep in Thought- There was trouble on the horizon and Nico could feel it. Rachel kept slipping into those trances, like she was deep in thought, and farther away than the edge of the universe.  
53. Keeping a Secret- Chiron knows the truth about Luke and his parents. He knows that putting him in the Athena cabin is not honoring his father's blood at all, but he trusts that Annabeth keeps the truth a secret, and so will he.  
54. Chest-Nico wasn't a fan of wearing shirts unless it was a necessity. Rachel couldn't complain… After all, with that chest…  
55. Waiting- Once a year, Annabeth would sit on 'The Hero' and just watch the boats come in and out of port. She would look at every man who stepped off the gang planks, and it would never be him. She would spend the day waiting and watching for him to come home.  
56. Danger Ahead- Rachel would fall asleep with her head in Nico's lap often. After all, she had to be falling over from exhaustion before she would sleep. She would have nightmares and wake up in a violent fright to find that Nico is staring in thought at the dawn embers on the horizon. She had spoken, and there was indeed danger ahead.  
57. Sacrifice- He had sacrificed himself to save her life, and she had nothing to give in return for his gift. She could never give him everything he deserved for that sacrifice.  
58. Eternity- His father needed an heir. He needed to see her again. He either became the immortal prince of the Underworld, or he endured Elysium for without her for eternity.  
59. No Way Out- His first day at school, he was crammed into a locker and called a bastard child. He prayed to the gods that he would be found and helped, but it seemed as if Luke had no way out.  
60. Rejection- Luke brought Annabeth to 'Bring your parents to school day' and all of his friends brought their dads. He loved his mother like the earth and sky, but without his dad, his day would always end in rejection.  
61. Fairy Tale- Annabeth tells Luke about his father, but Luke is tired of 'Fairy Tales'.  
62. Magic- Nico shows off his new found godly abilities to Rachel.  
63. Sincerity- Annabeth has no interest in dating, how could she ever find another Percy? But Nathan seems so sincere, and who said she had to find another man as good as Percy?  
64. Multitasking- Sally had learned to be a mother when Percy was a baby, but she found the skills of multitasking carried on for years to come.  
65. Horror- She missed watching horror movies with him and eating Chinese food with chop sticks. She missed how she could throw herself into his arms and bury her face in his chest when the movie got really scary.  
66. Traps- Chiron knew that Luke being asked to come swimming with some of the Ares kids was a trap, but something told him that he'd be able to manage on his own.  
67. Playing the Melody- When Rachel came home from school, she found Apollo sitting on her bar counter with a guitar in hand, playing the melody to some intricate concerto. He never looked up at her, he only asked her why.  
68. Hero- The boat was his wedding gift to his son and his son's bride. 'The Hero' was going to serve them for years to come, and never suffer the burdens of the sea.  
69. Annoyance- As much as she loved Nico, his constant worry and questions could become quite the annoyance.  
70. Sand- The Hawaiian sand was warm and soft between her toes, and the warm feeling in her stomach was probably from the man on the shore with messy black hair and lean muscle. The man that the ocean itself embraced like a child.  
71. Obsession- Nico had an obsessive personality. If a problem wasn't solved or a question went unanswered, the man couldn't sleep. Nico spent days pacing her living room floor in thought. Never sleeping or eating, just obsessing over her dreams and paintings.  
72. Mischief Managed- Travis knew his son had inherited his genes. By the time he was a toddler, he had managed more mischief than any mortal child could.  
73. **I Can't- She had tried to pull him away from his obsessions and into her arms, but Nico knew the rules and he wasn't going to let her have any fun.**  
74. Are You Challenging Me?- Percy tries to tell an old sailor that the tides can be manipulated to a sailor's advantage.  
75. Mirror- Rachel stares in the mirror and wonders why every man in her life seems to be disappointed in her all the time. Why her father thinks she is not good enough for her family and why Nico is disappointed in her desires.  
76. Broken Pieces- Paired piece to Mirror. Rachel punches the mirror in frustration and shatters it, blood spattering from where chunks of glass have dug in. She screams and cries. Nico comes in just before she passes out and attempts to fix it.  
77. Butterflies- Annabeth didn't realize how long she and Luke were in Hawaii but she had to stay. She never talked to him but every time she saw him she would get a feeling of butterflies in her stomach. She needed to know, to talk to him and find out the truth.  
78. Drink- Nico didn't have an addictive personality, but Rachel did.  
79. Into the Night- She didn't know where he went on those nights. She didn't have the slightest idea what he frequented. Despite that fact, she ran head long into the night, running to him like she said she never would ten minutes before. She had to find him, because she was lost in the night without him.  
80. Words- It was all words right? It wasn't like she really wanted him dead. Apollo had told him that denying Rachel what she wanted could be detrimental to their friendship but he didn't realize how much it would sting.  
81. Pen and Paper- Annabeth writes to Sally about why she has stayed in Hawaii so long.  
82. Can You Hear Me?- Rachel cries to Apollo, angry and hurt because of the laws that ruined her life.  
83. Heal- Memories can take a long time to heal, but eventually the beautiful blond that frequented the shore by the docks with her little boy brought back memories that he didn't think were his own.  
84. Out Cold- Rachel wakes up in the morning to find Nico flung over the living room sofa out cold. Despite her anger, she can't help but smile. He may storm out in rage, but he always came home to her.  
85. Procrastination- Percy knew he had to talk to her. Something about her just drew him in, but he could always find something to keep him from facing the unknown. Percy was always such a horrible procrastinator.  
86. Friendship- Despite the fights fueled by sexual tension and the fear that Rachel would break down into a prophecy at any moment, Rachel and Nico had just about the best friendship. On their better days anyway.  
87. Food- The food of the underworld was dangerous and seductively delicious all at the same time. That's what once drew Persephone in. Now, it was an afterthought to the husband she had down there.  
88. Pain- When the numbness of unconsciousness wore off, the first thing Nico felt was pain. It was good pain though. It meant he was alive.  
89. Through the Fire- Hades shows Nico what happened to him, and Nico is more drawn to Rachel's reactions to his death. How clear can things be when they are seen through the fire of the underworld?  
90. Heart- It was something about her eyes that pulled at his heart, demanding he remember what he had lost.  
91. Drowning- The little boy couldn't have been more than five. He had black curls and bright sea green eyes. His trunks were even blue. None of these details meant a lot to Percy at the moment though, because the kid had just ran off a pier! Percy dove off the boat to the sounds of the blond woman screaming, and willed the water to get him to the child faster. When he got to him, the little boy was laughing and chasing a school of fish along the bottom of the ocean. It all came rushing back to him then.  
92. **All That I Have- Nico laid down a half eaten package of sour skittles, a pocket knife, and a magnet. Rachel looked over her cards at him. "What? It's all I have!" Poker with a society girl. A very bad idea.**  
93. Give Up- Rachel may have beaten him at poker, but hand to hand combat was Nico's forte, and he wasn't going to go easy on her. She'd just have to give up.  
94. **Last Hope- It had been too long since he'd fallen in. It seemed like the sailor was her last hope and it was too much to hope that he was Percy. **  
95. The Ocean- The ocean is only merciful to its masters, and Percy knew now what it's hadn't taken the child from his mother without so much as a backwards glance. This was his son, his Luke, and he had to bring him back.  
96. In the Storm- A storm had quickly taken over the island, sending everyone rushing back into their houses or hotel rooms. Annabeth just stood there though, waiting for a son and a sailor that both seemed to be gone. The wind and rain whipped at her, adding to the spray of the now violent ocean, but they came back.  
97. Safety First- Percy ran Luke back up the shore and onto the pier, the blond woman racing towards him through the rain. He handed Luke over and muttered something about safety first before she hugged him fiercely. She knew now who he was for sure, and he remembered her voice, her eyes, the feeling of her breath on his neck as she thanked him.  
98. Puzzle- Rachel did puzzles when rainy days hit. She would sit for hours and put together elaborate works, but they just bored Nico senseless.  
99. Solitude- Nico was just fine with solitude, it gave him time to think. Rachel couldn't stand to see him alone.  
100. Relaxation- Sometimes they would just relax and watch t.v. Rachel found nothing greater in her life than when Nico would lay his head in her lap and fall asleep to her fingers in his hair. He was hers and he knew it. No matter how many other women he was involved with, it was always Rachel he came back to.


	8. No 27: Foreign

A/N: Mixing up the topics. For anyone who is reading _Foes Bear Arms, _I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. My computer restarted in the middle of the night and I ended up losing my five and a half pages of the only partially finished chapter I was planning on giving you this week. I hope that all of you can see my sudden lack of will to start over again. I'll get there though. In the meantime, I've been in a very NicoXRachel mood as of late. So, enjoy.

27. Foreign

One of my requirements as a creative arts major was to participate in an ensemble in the music school. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't join an orchestra, which would have been humiliating… I think I would have taken looking stupid playing the flute I hadn't played for a decade over what I ended up with.

The first problem I had when I walked into the massive auditorium was not the obvious divas in the room, the professor's comb-over, or the lack of easels to hide behind. It was the freshman at the grand piano who was playing a familiar lullaby for the blond he was talking to. I'm not talking about any old freshman either. I'm talking dark silky curls, corded muscle, a pair of black boots, and the almost iconic way his long bony fingers moved over the piano. Nico DiAngelo was the pianist for the next five months of hell for me. The professor commented that it was time to start and everyone took a seat somewhere in the room. I sat as far away from the piano as I could. Of course, that didn't work to well since the piano was the central point of the room. Dr. Drell used it for a podium while he talked, and Nico had pretty much made the bench home for him. When Drell passed out the script for the opera we were performing (Le Villi) I almost slammed my face into my desk right there. I was seriously hoping that I could learn it through Osmosis. No such luck. Only one saving grace came my way in class; I would be one of the Villi (fairy), and I would only have one line. It was later in the week I realized how hard one line would be…

"Nico?" I called his name down the hallway over the piano playing in his room. I didn't know why he could play something as cheery as 'Treat Street' by Vince Guaraldi while I felt so frustrated. No response. He just kept playing away at the stupid piano. I'd never admit I was jealous of his talent, that would only swell his ego… more… After calling for him a few more times I huffed away from my desk and marched down the hall to his room. I planted myself on the bench next to him and put the opera script directly on top of his music. He finally stopped and looked up.

"Red, I don't do requests." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, but this is important." He snorted.

"Rachel, what on Earth makes you think that your one line is more important than me having to play the entire show?"

"But you weren't even playing from the show!"

"Yeah, but jazz rhythm helps me work out the kinks in some of the faster parts without playing the same run for hours, which I know you would complain about." I shrugged my shoulders. He was right after all.

"Can you just explain something to me?" I asked. He sighed and turned to face me, straddling the bench.

"Sure Red, what's wrong?"

"I know its one word, but I get the feeling that 'traitor is probably not pronounced the same in Italian. I'm not good with European languages." He shrugged and said, 'Traitor', but it sounded so much nicer the way he said it. There was a short pause between syllables and he did the one thing I always thought was so endearing to hear European men do, but I could never achieve myself; He rolled the 'R'. I groaned and dropped my forehead to the piano, making it strike an ugly sound on five or six of the bass strings. Nico laughed, clear and throaty, the same way he spoke Italian. He played with some of my hair as he did so.

"What's wrong, Red?" He asked, his voice sounding way to carefree for the situation.

"I can't roll my 'R's." I complained. He laughed again and pulled me up by my shoulders. The humorous sparkle in his eyes made me see why his mother might have once fallen for Hades, despite the bitter god he was.

"Rachel, it isn't hard. Trust me, if you start life speaking a language with rolled 'R's, getting out of the habit is much more difficult. I still do it on accident." He gave me a crooked grin. "The best way I can think to explain it is, instead of pulling your tongue tight and farther back when you pronounce the 'R', try to let it stay forward and loose. That way it rolls." He did it a few times as an example. I started trying to mimic what he was doing while thinking about what he'd said. I don't think it sounded as pretty, but I kept trying just so he would keep doing it. We looked and sounded completely mental. We were rolling 'R's and Nico was making hand gestures to try and make me see what I needed to achieve. I could see he was getting more and more frustrated with me, but before I could complain that I was trying my best he growled in frustration and grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me in. He continued rolling his 'R's but it took me a second to realize that my mouth was the reason I was hearing nothing. I hate to say it, but when he pulled away from the kiss I realized why they called Italian a romance language… and why I had never gotten it before. His eyes were on fire, but he pushed his black curls out of his face and took a deep breath. He looked at me pointedly.

"Okay, Red, try it now." I tried a few times. It didn't sound as natural as when he said it, but at least it sounded better.

"See," he said triumphantly, "You just needed the practice."

"Thanks." I said in a sort of daze as I got up. Before I left the room I could have sworn I saw him wink at me, but he started to play the piano again and I let it go. I was lying in bed much later when it finally dawned on me that that was the first real kiss I'd ever had, and if Apollo didn't kill me tomorrow, it would probably be my last for a while. I fell asleep considering what I'd have to do to get a bigger role in the next opera. I did technically have a private teacher now.

Italian may have been a foreign tongue to me, but it clearly wasn't to Nico.

Post Notes:

I know, this is a little bit off from my original outline, but I like this better. It makes more sense to the characters. Anyway, as for Nico playing the piano and being in the Opera school for it, well, a lot of the details will be explained in later scenes in different one-shots or in the ongoing fic. Short version is Nico's mother was an Italian opera soprano. Nico inherited some of that talent from her and she made it a point for him to learn to play the piano and understand music theory before she died. He was about nine at the time. So, even though Nico's memory was taken from him when she died, those teachings came back later. So, there you go. Rachel is a senior at Julliard for Creative arts and Nico is in the music school at Julliard. Ta-da!


End file.
